Catholic Caucus:Daily Mass Readings, 12-27-12,Feast, St. John, Apostle&Evangelist, 3rd Day/Oct. Chr

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 12-27-12 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Thursday, December 27, 2012 >>

St. John

1 John 1:1-4
View Readings

Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12

John 20:1-8

FULLY MAN, FULLY GOD, FULLY LOVE

"...what we have looked upon and our hands have touched — we speak of the Word of Life." —1 John 1:1

 

John is traditionally identified with the Beloved Disciple, on whose testimony the fourth Gospel is based (Jn 21:24). John testified that he surely could not help but speak of what he had heard and seen (Acts 4:19-20). Everything within John found joy in sharing his experience of Jesus' love with others (1 Jn 1:3-4).

John saw Jesus. He heard Jesus' heart beating (Jn 13:25). John stood at the foot of the cross and watched Jesus pour out His blood to save us (Jn 19:26, 34). He was in a position to testify that "the Word became flesh" (Jn 1:14).

Even with all this experience of Jesus' physical, human presence, John's love for Jesus longed to go deeper. John, "the one Jesus loved" (Jn 20:2), experienced Jesus' love so deeply that he "was caught up in ecstasy" (Rv 1:10) into the mystery of love. He encountered the divinity of Christ "in heaven" (Rv 4:2). Because of this encounter (see Rv 5:6ff), John knew that Jesus was God (Jn 1:1). His Gospel, more than any other, proclaims the divinity of Jesus. John was consumed with the desire to proclaim that the Baby Jesus in the lowly Christmas manger is the divine God enthroned in heavenly majesty.

John wrote "to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, so that through this faith you may have life in His name" (Jn 20:31). What John saw and heard, he proclaimed "in turn to you so that you may share life" with him and Jesus forever (1 Jn 1:3). Look, hear, believe in Jesus, and live forever.

 

Prayer: Jesus, may I be known by others as the one You love.

Promise: "He saw and believed." —Jn 20:8

Praise: St. John was the only apostle who stood at the foot of Jesus' cross.

[Salvation]

 

[Salvation]

Click here to advertise on CatholicCulture.org

 

December 27, Feast of Saint John St. John was born in Bethsaida, and like his brother James, was a fisherman. He was called while mending his nets to follow Jesus. He became the beloved disciple of Jesus. He wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles and the Apocalypse. His passages on the pre-existence of the Word, who by His Incarnation became the light of the world and life of our souls, are among the finest of the New Testament. He is the evangelist of the divinity of Christ and His fraternal love. With James, his brother and Simon Peter, he was one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration. At the Last Supper, he leans on the Master's breast. At the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusts His Mother to his care. John's pure life kept him very close to Jesus and Mary. In years to come John was exiled to the island of Patmos under Emperor Domitian, but lived to an old age. — From the Daily Roman Missal Day Three activity (Blessing of Wine) Day Three Recipe (St. John's Wine)